Pac-12 basketball ratings: The final non-conference tally

The bed is made. There are no more non-conference games on the Pac-12 schedule: No inter-sectional, made-for-TV matchups against opponents from the Big East or the Big Ten … no rivalry-week fillers against second-rate teams from the west coast … and nothing in between.

And you know what? The bed isn’t filled with rocks and shards of glass.

The conference is undeniably better than it was last year — better than it has been for several years, in fact.

It’s not at the Big Ten or Big East level, but it has climbed out of the gutter:

The Pac-12 is 3-1 against the ACC, 6-3 against the SEC, 5-4 against the Big 12 and 8-7 against the Mountain West … and that’s the head-to-head ledger it will take into Selection Week.

There are more solid teams at the top, sure. But the bottom is better, too, and that might prove more significant when at-large berths are decided.

Last year, the conference had three teams (Utah, USC and ASU) in the RPI 200+ category, and they dragged everyone else down, undermining schedule strength each week and devastating RPIs with their occasional victories.

This year, the conference has zero teams in the RPI 200+ category.

To the ratings …

1. Arizona (15-1, 3-1)Next up: at ASU (Sat)Comment: The last time Arizona vs. ASU meant something for both teams? It only feels like it was pre-Internet.

4. Washington (11-5, 3-0)Next up: vs. Colorado (Wed)Comment: Even better than 3-0: Huskies are 3-0 on the road. Beat the Buffs, and they should be 6-0 headed to Eugene on 1/26.

5. Arizona State (14-3, 3-1)
Next up: vs. Arizona (Sat)Comment: Outcome of rivalry game will hinge on whether Jahii Carson can make positive plays against the Wildcats’ locked-in halfcourt defense in the final minutes.

7. Cal (10-6, 2-2)
Next up: at Stanford (Sat)Comment: Golden Bears are there for the taking, what with their injuries, limited frontline talent and out-of-sync perimeter game. Will Stanford be able to take advantage? (See below.)

8. USC (7-10, 2-2)Next up: vs. Oregon (Thurs)Comment: Highest-rated team (football or basketball) to have its head coach terminated in Hotline history.

9. Stanford (10-7, 1-3)Next up: vs. Cal (Sat)Comment: Yes, the Cardinal will take advantage. For all its flaws, Stanford has enough talented pieces to survive at home against struggling Bears.

10. Oregon State (10-6, 0-3)Next up: at UCLA (Thurs)Comment: Even worse than being 0-3: Beavers are 0-3 at home. And they could very well be 0-6 when WSU comes to town on 1/26.

11. Washington State (9-7, 0-3)Next up: vs. Utah (Wed)Comment: Only a few more hours until we know which team is the worst in the league … unless the Beavers enter the fray.

12. Utah (0-4, 8-8)Next up: at Washington State (Wed)Comment: Better than last season but still years away from being any good.